One of the biggest storylines heading into the NFL season this year is the uncertainty around Brandon Aiyuk’s contract. Going into his fifth year on the back of a stellar 2023 season with 1,342 yards and 7 touchdowns, Aiyuk expected a lucrative offer from the 49ers, which has yet to materialize, resulting in the player sitting out the minicamp. While these are common pressurizing ploys by players, the WR’s latest TikTok video has made things even messier.
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Aiyuk, in a video on his TikTok, can be seen telling his former college teammate Jayden Daniels, “They (the 49ers) said they don’t want me back.” While reports did indicate that talks were stalled between the team and the player, Aiyuk openly insinuating it on social media is troublesome.
That said, while many inferred Aiyuk’s video as a clear indication that the 49ers seek to trade the WR this off-season, veteran NFL analyst Mike Florio thinks otherwise. In his latest YouTube video appearance, Florio asserted that the 49ers would prefer holding onto the likes of Kittle, Deebo Samuel, and Brandon Aiyuk for the 2023 season before taking a call on whether they want the players around.
The analyst, however, did admit that Aiyuk’s TikTok video must have thrown a wrench into their plans, considering the leverage it gives to the other players nearing the end of their contracts.
“I really do think the 49ers were hoping to hold the band together one more year and then figure it out… it might have been next year, who knows? [Maybe] move on from George Kittle, move on from Samuel and pay Brandon Aiyuk… The complication from yesterday was that Aiyuk in a FaceTime conversation with his former Arizona State teammate Jayden Daniels… told [that] the 49ers said they don’t want me,” Florio said.
“I really don’t understand that because I think they would love to have him for 14.1 [million]. I think he’s referring to after this year. I would suspect the message he’s gotten is we want you at your fifth year option and then next year you know who knows… tag and trade… or not tag him at all and let him walk,” he continued.
However, on the flip side, if the 49ers were to really get rid of Aiyuk this season, they would place all their bets on Ricky Pearsall and hope for a stellar draft pick next year.
“But if they’ve decided we’re just not going to pay this guy 30 million a year, they’ll hope Ricky Pearsall develops, [and] go find somebody else in the draft. This is where the rubber is going to meet the road as it relates to the receiver position,” Florio added.
To sum it up, the 49ers, with a few of their key players nearing the end of their contract, are in a precarious position where they have to take the hard calls. The ideal outcome for the San Francisco-based team would be to have Deebo Samuel at his cap number, restructure George Kittle as per salary cap, and get Aiyuk to wait for the fifth year.
But with the star wideout showing disdain and missing the mandatory minicamp, a contract extension resolution in the next few months looks tough. On the other hand, not rewarding Aiyuk with a deserving contract goes against the 49ers’ practice, which has consistently rewarded its star performers.
From Deebo Samuel in 2022 to Nick Bosa in 2023, the 49ers never shy away from handing out big-money contracts. Indeed, the 49ers have currently gotten their hands tied with the salary cap. However, analysts believe that extending Aiyuk now would be a masterstroke financial decision for them.
Affording Brandon Aiyuk: Can the 49ers Get It Done?
Earlier this month, Bleacher Reports’ Kristopher Knox predicted Aiyuk’s ideal contract valuation should be four years, $120.1 million, with $80 million in guaranteed money. Knox came up with this number considering the recent deals involving Justin Jefferson and A.J. Brown, among other WRs, which reset the salary market.
For the 49ers, affording a $30 million per annum salary is a tough ask considering they just have $25 million in cap space and have Brock Purdy’s extension to deal with in 2025. However, if San Francisco were to backload Aiyuk’s extension to 2025, awarding the WR a $120 million contract becomes feasible.
Over The Cap currently projects the 49ers to have $55 million and $227.7 million in cap space in 2025 and 2026, respectively. So, if things remain even remotely the way they are, the 49ers can continue to unearth more gems like Purdy and Aiyuk without concerns about fitting them into the salary cap.
Moreover, from a sporting angle, the deal makes sense. The wide receiver market is only going to explode from here on, and it would be a smart move from the 49ers to secure Aiyuk at $30 million per year now, which, in the current trajectory, might look like a steal in the coming years.
